Librarians & Environmental Sustainability

1. Librarians & Environmental Sustainability CoALL/RMSLA Brown Bag 3/19/09 Presented by: David Selden National Indian Law Library Boulder, CO

2. "Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children."

3. Click on image

4. Temperature and carbon dioxide change over the last 1000 years

6. Why should we be concerned? • Scientific consensus says we must reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 worldwide to avoid catastrophic climate change. Union of Concerned Scientists, Obama and other leaders and groups

7. Why should we be concerned? • Water sources – Drought - 500 million people rely on water from glaciers and 80% of all glaciers are expected to be gone by 2035 (UN IPCC, 2007) - “Global warming threatens to melt the Andes glaciers by 2030, jeopardizing already scarce water, food and energy resources” (World Bank, 2009)- Climate change could turn U.S. Southwest into a dustbowl in the coming decades (Science, 2007)

8. Why should we be concerned? Rise in sea level – "The consequences would be catastrophic," said Jonathan Overpeck, director of the Institute for the Study of Planet Earth at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "Even with a small sea level rise, we're going to destroy whole nations and their cultures that have existed for thousands of years.”

9. Why should we be concerned? The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that “if global temperatures increase more than two to three degrees F above current levels — which seems quite possible, given current trends in carbon emissions — up to one third of the species on Earth could be at risk for extinction.”

10. Why should we be concerned? Colorado species threatened - Pika • Pikas have become a "canary in a coal mine" indicator in the global warming controversy • Diminished snowpack leaves less protective insulation during the coldest winter conditions. • The pikas' meadow foraging habitat is shrinking as timberlines move upslope due to rising temperatures. • Reductions in alpine permafrost may lead to degradation and eventual loss of habitat. Source: Center for Biological Diversity

11. Why should we be concerned ? • World/National Security Threats • "Weakened and failing governments, with an already thin margin for survival, foster the conditions for internal conflicts, extremism and movement toward increased authoritarianism and radical ideologies. The U.S. will be drawn more frequently into these situations." (U.S. National Intelligence report based on a UN IPCC report, 2007) 

12. Why should we be concerned?The tipping point "Continued growth of greenhouse gas emissions, for just another decade, practically eliminates the possibility of near-term return of atmospheric composition beneath the tipping level for catastrophic effects."  -  (James Hansen, NASA, 2008) • Carbon sinks less effective – forests and oceans are losing ability to absorb CO2 • Increase in forest fires - emit more CO2  • Increased melting of permafrost - emits methane gas (20X more powerful than CO2) • Increase in population • “Peak oil” & energy independence

13. Major Sources of Greenhouse Gases • Electricity – 1 KWH = 1.93 lbs • Natural Gas – 1 Therm = 11.7 lbs • Transportation • Air Travel – 1.3 lbs of C02/mile/person • Auto – 1 gallon gas = 19.6 lbs of C02 • Paper – 1 ton (405 reams) = 9.1 tons of C02 See:

14. NARF Carbon Footprint

15. NARF Carbon Footprint

16. NILL Carbon Footprint11 tons of C02

17. What Has NARF Done? • NARF recycling and composting program • NARF/NILL energy audits • NARF/NILL lighting – CFLs and general T8 fluorescent retrofitting installed • Reusable coffee/beverage mugs • PC power management tools • Education program – eco tips and meetings • NARF kitchen water filter • Office paper – 30% recycled content, draft printing (both sides) • Green products purchased – food service, bathroom • Reusable NARF shopping bags

18. U.S. Green Building Council - LEED Certification • LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design • Buildings - 80% of energy used relates to general operation and 20% to initial construction • Buildings & the electricity used in them accounts for ½ of U.S. C02 emissions Source: Pew Center on Global Climate Change (2005)

19. What can Librarians do? Conservation - Efficiency - Renewables • Initiate or join a Green Office Committee • Energy conservation – electricity and gas • Efficient appliances and environmental friendly products/equipment (purchasing policy) • Travel/fly less • Use less office paper • Consume less products • Purchase renewable energy to off-set greenhouse gases – How this works • Want to learn more? - attend (ride your bike, of course) AALL 2009 Annual Meeting Program on Tuesday, 10:45 – “The 80/2050 Challenge: What You Can Do to Reduce Your Organization's Impact on Climate Change.” • Measure your library’s or organizations carbon footprint by using this calculator.

20. What can Librarians do? Local Program - GreenerDenverBiz.org

21. What can Librarians do? Local Program - GreenprintDenver.org

22. What can Librarians do? National Program – ABA-EPA Law Office Climate Challenge

23. “The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth…”